Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

OK DD is 5 1/2 months and I was still swaddling her (including her arms). She would break out every night anywhere between 1 - 5 am, so some people suggested that perhaps she doesn't want to be swaddled. Well here's what happened...

She only napped 1 hour total at daycare yesterday. So we got home, played, ate, bathed and had a bottle. She was beyond exhausted. So I put her in the sleepsak and she was too tired to even fight me. I put her in the crib on her back (she's never been able to sleep on her back without being swaddled) and she was asleep before I left the room at 6:50pm.

she woke up at 7:40pm crying. So I went in and flipped her onto her belly (she can roll belly to back only) and she fell right to sleep.

She slept 7:40 -10:50 and then rolled to her back. I hear her talking loudly "ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhh, ahhhhh). I go in and she has her eyes closed but her hands are rubbing her eyes and face and she's still talking so I flip her back onto her belly.

She slept 10:50 - 1:00 am, she rolled back onto her back - "ahhhhh's" same as above. Flipped her back to her belly.

Slept from 1:00 am - 2:00 am, rolled on to back again repeat above. Flipped her again.

2:10am she rolled over onto her back again.

Exhausted mommy decides to call it a night and swaddles baby.

She slept 2:15am - 5:30am before breaking out of swaddle.

Changed diaper, bottle, brought her into my bed, put her on her belly and she'd sleep 1/2 hour before rolling onto her back and I'd flip her every 1/2 hour until 8:00am...then she was done sleeping.

We both have very puffy eyes and are exhausted. I pray she's tired enough to nap today.

What am I doing wrong? Is she not ready to be unswaddled? Should I wait until she can roll both ways and flip herself back? Will I ever sleep again?

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

If she is making noises and is not completely awake, why not trying to leave her to put herself back to sleep...

I never swaddled, so I don't know about the swaddling thing, but I do know that I used to run in whenever Noah made a noise, now I give it 10 minutes before I go in and 99% of the time, he quiets himself down and goes back to sleep on his own. Also, if she flips over, try leaving her flipped over!! Another eta...Why are you changing her diaper (typed nappy there by accident!!) I would only change her if she has done a poo, (imo) changing her and feeding her are all stimulating.

I don't wonder if your always going in to rescue her stimulates her more and wakes her up more...

Message edited 5/18/2007 9:00:25 AM.

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

Thanks Racheeeee. I've tried leaving her making the "ahhhh" noises and it can go on for hours. She just won't sleep on her back. It's the strangest thing. On occasion she'll pass out from exhaustion but only to last 15 -30 minutes before it starts up again.

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

Hey

As weird as this sounds, i read on Baby Center.com that this girl took a sleep sack and pinned the arm holes together and had the baby sleep in the sleep sack with her arms inside it. Its not a tight swaddle but it keeps her arms from flailing around. Sorry you are having this problem. That stinks. You must be exhausted. I say keep trying to have her sleep without a swaddle. I might try it this weekend also. She naps on her back/side but she doesnt roll over yet.

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

I think what I would do is use one friday night like as an experiment night, try leaving her alone if she is just "aaaaaaahing" See what happens, again, like CIO if you aren't comfortable with it, go in there. But I know with my own kid that if I go into his room whenever he wakes up, he expects it and gets more upset when I do come in...

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

Sorry you both are so tired.

JMO: I would personally leave her for a bit, especially when she was only talking.
My girls were swaddled (arms out) until about 6 months. Then I decided to stop doing this because I felt like I was preventing them from learning to roll and comfort themself. They still wake during the night and talking loud, but I never go in there. Sometimes it lasts for 1/2 hour of so, but they eventually soothe themself and go back to sleep. Perhaps you going in throughout the night she is learning and training you to flip her. She knows and expects you will come in to help.

good luck with everything.

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

I'm with racheeeee, I would try and let her talk herself back to sleep. Also, in breaking the swaddle, what we did was just undo one arm at a time. We did the first arm for a night or two, then did both arms together. It took a few nights for him to start sleeping as well as he did swaddled, but he did get there.

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

I will let her TIO this weekend...hey a new sleep technique may be born here

Did anyone else have a baby that HATES sleeping on their back.

I can't wait for her to be able roll both ways!!!

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

i never used the sleepsack I didn't like it. I used the swaddle mes.

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

I would try letting her go. If she is not awake, I wouldn't bother touching/moving her. Let her go, it is normal for them to make noises in their sleep.

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

We went through a few rough nigts like that when Molly would roll from belly to back and not be able to get herself back to sleep. After a few nights it got better and she is all over the crib now! I'll go in and check on her and she is on her belly facing one way...they next time I check she is on her back laying the other way!

It rough, but she will work it out and will soon probably sleep both belly and back as soon as she figures out how to roll both ways.

Then after that they learn to stand up in the crib, but can't get back down, so it starts all over again!

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

Posted by Charly

I will let her TIO this weekend...hey a new sleep technique may be born here

Did anyone else have a baby that HATES sleeping on their back.

I can't wait for her to be able roll both ways!!!

Re: Our first night without the swaddle...opinions please

Thanks Kim!! I'm glad to hear someone went through this and it got easier.

I just put her down for a nap and let her TIO (at least she doesn't cry) and after 20 minutes she's out cold on her back. It will probably only last 1/2 hour but its something right?!?!